Steering wheel



June 30, 1925 M. H. MEDFORD STEERING WHEEL 1 o i i l Files. Aug. 1 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 71 2??? 6 s as June 30 i925 43,783 M. H. MEDFORD v STEERING WHEEL Original Filed Aug; 10 i 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 g 7 I I/ 1 Q INVENTOR WZ'7 r'a55e A TTORNEY.

Patented June 30, 1925.

ED s-rATEs PATENT LQFFHCE.

STEERING WHEEL.

Application filed August 10', 1922, Serial No. 581,031. Renewed May 8, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MANOR H. Mnnrono, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Canton, in the county of Haywood and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steering Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is the provision of an automobile or other steering wheel the wooden portion of which is constructed in such manner as to lend increased strength and durability thereto, as well as to increase the ornamental appearance of the wooden portion when the latter is desired.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification Figure 1 is a top plan view of a steering wheel constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is an edge elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section showing the construction of spider that is preferably employed as part of the wheel.

Figure 4: is a detail perspective of one of the arms of the spider.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail fragmentary section showing the manner in which the novel wooden portion of the wheel is built up in accordance with my invention.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

For the sake of strength combined with lightness I prefer to construct the metallic spider of the wheel in the manner illustrated-i. e., to have the said spider comprise curvilinear sheet metal arms 1, flanged at 2 and having apert-ured ears 3 at their outer ends for connection by screws 4 or other appropriate means to the novel wooden portion, combined with annuli 5 of metal between which the inner sector portions of the arms 1 are interposed and secured by rivets 6 or the like, one of the said annuli being provided with a post receiving sleeve 7 in which is a keyway 8.

The wooden portion 9 of the wheel is of ring form as illustrated in Figure 1 and is constructed in the manner shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5. In the construction of the said wooden ring portion 9 I take a sheet of wooden veneer, designated by 10 in Figures 2 and 5, the said sheet 10 being by preference made up of three plies of wood glued together and having their grains arranged at the angles to each other. The ring out from the veneer sheet 10 may be of any de sired diameter and of any desired width, and on the opposite sides of the said sheet 10 I secure rough sections of wood designated by 11, the said sections 11 being applied in the rough to the sides of the veneer sheet 10 and connected thereto by glue. The wooden sections 11 are so arranged as to have a certain number thereof extend tangentially with respect to the perimeter of the finished ring 9, and the remainder of the sec tions extending at an acute angle to the perimeter. After the sections 11 are applied as stated to the veneer sheet or interposed thickness 10, the ring 9 is turned down to the radial thickness desired as well as the cross sectional shape desired when the ring 9 is in readiness to be connected to the spider in the relation illustrated.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a ring 9 constructed in the manner illustrated is at once inexpensive and strong, and it is also advantageous because woods of clifferent colors may when deemed expedient be employed from the alternate sections 11 of the ring and in that way increase the ornamental and finished appearance of the steering wheel.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear and exact understanding of the said embodiment. I do not desire, however, to be understood as confining myself to the said specific construction and relative arrangement of parts inasmuch as in the future practice of the invention various changes and modifications may be made such as fall within the scope of my invention as defined in my appended claim.

Having described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

In a steering Wheel including a central ring section and an inner and outer section applied to said central section, the said inner and. outer sections consisting of blocks of and the remainder at an acute angle thereto.

In testnnony whereof, I aifix my slgnature.

MANOR H. MEDFORD, 

